Variant of Xenia, from Greek 'xenia' meaning 'hospitality' or 'welcoming to strangers.'
Zenia is a name of ancient Greek provenance, rooted in "xenia" — the sacred concept of hospitality and the guest-friend bond. In Homeric culture, xenia was not merely politeness but a divinely ordained duty: to welcome the stranger was to honor Zeus Xenios, protector of guests. A name carrying this heritage brings with it one of the oldest and most universal human virtues.
Zenia is also closely related to Zenobia, the warrior-queen of Palmyra in the 3rd century AD who defied Roman authority, conquered Egypt, and became one of antiquity's most celebrated female rulers. Though Zenobia's name is thought to derive from the Semitic "Bat-Zabbai" (daughter of Zabbai), classical writers often Hellenized it toward the "Zeno-" prefix, connecting it to Zeus. Through this lineage, Zenia carries a hint of that legendary defiance and brilliance.
In modern usage, Zenia appears across Eastern Europe — particularly in Slavic countries — as well as in Greek communities and among families drawn to Z-initial names with classical depth. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Xenia or as its own standalone form. The name's relative rarity in English-speaking countries lends it a cosmopolitan freshness, while its Greek roots anchor it in a tradition of extraordinary intellectual and moral seriousness.